Significant Grade Drop. Forum

[Anonymous User]

GPA dropped significantly by about .22 points. Went from top 8% in 1L to 30% 2L fall.
Thankfully, nothing lower than B in 2L fall, but I had nearly all B and B+.
I have a V25 and I had to send in transcript.
How worried should I be in regards getting an offer?

[kalvano]

Gee, this topic has never been discussed before.

[Anonymous User]

I wouldn't be too worried, especially since you have this next semester to bring it back up again. I'm a transfer (which obviously gives me some leeway for grade drop since grades at the different schools are apples and oranges), and spent a lot longer on job search than most, missed class for the better part of a month, etc. Ended up with a 3.1 (one B- really killed me), whereas I had something like 3.6 at my old school. So my drop was alot bigger, but I'm really not worried because I'm buckled down hardcore this semester, and will raise the GPA just by virtue of being settled into my new school and being able to attend all my classes.

Remember that firms aren't schools. They have no need to just weigh all figures in order to report an overall number. They will see your grade trends, and unlike the schools, they can actually choose to credit that grade trend as representative of you, and act on that. So if you recover well, they will clearly see that you had just one bad semester, got right back on the horse, and I can't imagine that it would be a basis for no-offering you, especially if your work is good this summer.

[de5igual]

Gee, this topic has never been discussed before.

to be fair, the usual response is a plethora of people stating that firms don't care and don't even check. here, the firm asked for it.

[Anonymous User]

Gee, this topic has never been discussed before.

to be fair, the usual response is a plethora of people stating that firms don't care and don't even check. here, the firm asked for it.

Even if the firm asks, I still think its more of a formality than anything else. And even if you have a fall semester 2L drop that raises eyebrows, you can still recover well and negate any concerns. So I don't see a reason for OP to worry.

[Morgan12Oak]

OP - your cumulative GPA dropped by .22? As in from like a 3.7 to a 3.48?

I really wouldn't be too worried, but at the same time I would probably work harder this semester.

[Anonymous User]

OP - your cumulative GPA dropped by .22? As in from like a 3.7 to a 3.48?

I really wouldn't be too worried, but at the same time I would probably work harder this semester.

My GPA went up. Should I slack off a bit?

[rad lulz]

\

[Anonymous User]

FWIW, I experienced a larger drop from 10--->median...career service said that this is nothing to worry about. But, of course, it would be wise for us to improve this semester.

[Anonymous User]

FWIW, I experienced a larger drop from 10--->median...career service said that this is nothing to worry about. But, of course, it would be wise for us to improve this semester.

School, or at least ranking range?

[Anonymous User]

T14

[Anonymous User]

T14

Would it matter if it was a T1 instead?

[Anonymous User]

I do not think it would matter if you were TTTT, my feeling is that grades get you hired, your work product and personality (notwithstanding all C's and B's or failing a class) get you offers to return.

[Anonymous User]

If firms didn't care, why would some firms have a maintaining grade condition on their offer letters?

[drdolittle]

If firms didn't care, why would some firms have a maintaining grade condition on their offer letters?

Because they're written/reviewed by lawyers and thus the tendency is to cover all bases just in case.

[Julio_El_Chavo]

Somewhat unrelatedly: I would think federal judges would care about a 3L grade drop, since they haven't seen as much of your work as a firm has before your start date AND because judges generally care more about your grades in general. Yet I've never heard of a federal judge rescinding a clerkship offer based on a 3L grade drop.

[Stanford4Me]

If firms didn't care, why would some firms have a maintaining grade condition on their offer letters?

Because they're written/reviewed by lawyers and thus the tendency is to cover all bases just in case.

[Anonymous User]

In regards to a significant 2L GPA drop, does it make any difference that the V30 firm I will be summering is very selective and has high, hard GPA cut-off (at least for my non-T14 school)?

[LawIdiot86]

In regards to a significant 2L GPA drop, does it make any difference that the V30 firm I will be summering is very selective and has high, hard GPA cut-off (at least for my non-T14 school)?

If it's GDC or if by non-T14 you mean TTT/TTTT, then yes. Otherwise, no.

[Anonymous User]

In regards to a significant 2L GPA drop, does it make any difference that the V30 firm I will be summering is very selective and has high, hard GPA cut-off (at least for my non-T14 school)?

If it's GDC or if by non-T14 you mean TTT/TTTT, then yes. Otherwise, no.

The GDC grade-drop-ding myth has been debunked multiple times.

[Old Gregg]

I don't really like this meme, but I think it's particularly funny now because of his username:

LawIdiot is an idiot.

[LawIdiot86]

I don't really like this meme, but I think it's particularly funny now because of his username:

LawIdiot is an idiot.

Eh, I was basing it off the comment from a current legal recruiter who said GDC requests transcripts, not just proof of graduation, from the recruiter's people it is considering as lateral partners. That reinforced the idea that they actually care about grades.

[Morgan12Oak]

i'd be very worried, of course. TLS has this myth that grades don't matter because firms invest too much in you, don't care, etc., but that is significantly flawed with survivor bias (people rarely report they get no offered b/c of stigma).

[Old Gregg]

i'd be very worried, of course. TLS has this myth that grades don't matter because firms invest too much in you, don't care, etc., but that is significantly flawed with survivor bias (people rarely report they get no offered b/c of stigma).

You can also do simple math...

S&C had over 100 summer associates last summer. All (or almost all) received offers. All (or almost all) could not have maintained their excellent grades. Expand analysis to other top firms and you'll see a general pattern:

No one cares.

[Morgan12Oak]

maintaining grades and dropping as hard as OP did are two very different things. also, have to factor in cold offers which do happen and are even more likely to not be shared publicly.